BRISTER I MÄRKNING AV LIVSMEDEL? HUR PÅVERKAR DET OSS?
An organisation in Skåne, Miljösamverkan Skåne, presented a project in 2011 concerning food labeling. All municipalities in Skåne, audited certain products in several stores, in order to determine if they were labeled correctly according to law. Stores who produced their own food where also audited. As Swedes generally have an interest in buying and cooking food from different countries, the demand is increasing, which makes stores provide the customers with a large range of different products to accommodate the demand. This essay will discuss the results of the project and how incorrect food labeling can affect human health. The study showed that most of the inspected products were labeled incorrectly. One example of a possible consequence is if gluten is not declared on the product which could result in people with Celiac disease becoming ill. Another result of this study is that incorrect food labeling has significant health risks, from itching and swelling to anaphylactic reactions which could lead to death. Therefore, people involved in the food industry, for instance wholesalers and importers, have to be educated about the risks and consequences of incorrect food labeling, in order to solve the problems and to increase the safety for customers.